184 Captain R. C. Beavan on Panolia eldi. [No. 3, 



The male averages 3} feet in height at the shoulder. The female is 

 a little less : the very largest males do not exceed 4J- feet. The flesh 

 is much liked by the Burmese, and always finds a ready sale in the 

 neighbouring villages. It is rarely brought into Moulmein. In the 

 country the wholesale price of a doe is Rupees 3, and that of a buck 

 Us. 4,* which is of course less than the usual retail bazar rate. 



The flesh is said to smell a little about the end of March when the 

 weather is very hot, but about November and December it is in good 

 condition for the table. 



Their habitat and range, according to Mr. Davis, are as follows : In 

 the Martaban District they inhabit exclusively the open grassy plains 

 between the sea and the mountains. In the Pegu plains they are 

 perhaps more abundant than in any other part of Burmah ; next to them 

 the Yengyaing plain in Martaban produces most ; near Rangoon they 

 are found in the Dallah plain. About Pegu and Yengyaing they are 

 found in herds from fifty to an hundred in the month of March, but 

 when hunted, they congregrate much more, and as many as two hun- 

 dred may then be seen together. In habits they are essentially gre- 

 garious, and associate with no other species, although hog deer abound 

 in the grass and jungle along the edges of the plain ; nor will they 

 allow the tame buffaloes to come nearer to them than about 100 

 yards. In 4iabits they are very wary and difficult of- approach, espe- 

 cially the males ; they are also very timid, and easily startled. The 

 males, however, when wounded and brought to bay with dogs, get very 

 savage, and charge vigorously. On being disturbed, they invariably 

 make for the open, instead of resorting to the heavy jungles like hog 

 deer and Sambur. In fact, the Thamyn is essentially a plain loving 

 species, and although it will frequent tolerably open tree jungle, for 

 the sake of its shade, will never venture into any composed of dense 

 or matted underwood i. e., bush jungle in contradistinction to " tree 

 jungle." Indeed I was credibly informed of a large stag which, being 

 driven into a corner of the plain last year, by herd boys, with pariah 

 dogs, and finding no means of escape, took refuge in heavy jungle 

 where its horns got entangled in a hibiscus bush, and so was actually 

 captured alive. Its captors, however, soon put an end to its existence 

 with a sharp dhar. 



* The prices quoted are what a shikarry expects usually to realize. 



